Laura Mercier’s new Tinted Blur Balm has been going viral for its ability to boost your glow and improve imperfections, all whilst feeling like you’re wearing nothing at all
As we move into spring, it’s time to start switching up my makeup and moving away from the heavier coverage that I lean towards in the winter. For spring and summer, I typically prefer more lightweight foundations that feel breathable and flexible on my skin.
Not only do they feel more natural-looking, and are less likely to crease and slide around if I get too warm, but they also feel less like they’ll clog my pores and cause breakouts. So when Laura Mercier’s new Tinted Blur Balm – which promised to not only smooth and blur skin but to hydrate and improve it too – started going viral, I had to see what all the fuss was about.
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During the warmer months, one of my favourite lightweight skin tints is the Kylie Cosmetics Skin Tint Blurring Elixir Foundation, which is £27 and has a really lightweight feel. If I’m on holiday, a tinted SPF is my ride or die, with my go-tos being Broad Spectrum SPF by PCA Skin and Ultra Violette’s Daydream Screen Tinted Veil SPF50.
However, the Tinted Blur Balm is £39 and contains peptides, which are there to help smooth the appearance of texture over time and boost your skin’s elasticity. It also includes vegetal squalane and camelina sativa seed oil, which both help to soothe and hydrate your skin without feeling greasy.
It has a lightweight formula that’s touted as a “balm to powder” feel, and helps to smooth imperfections and even skin tone whilst still looking like your skin. It has a sheer coverage which you can build up to medium coverage, and a natural-looking matte finish.
Pros
- Lightweight, breathable and flexible
- Buildable coverage
- Mattifying – great for oiliness or shine
- Easy to use compact design
- Can be applied with brush or fingertips
Cons
- Requires quite a bit of product for more coverage
- Needs to be warmed slightly before use
- Limited shade range
My first impression of the Tinted Blur Balm was that it was a little tricky to get the product out of the pan and onto my skin, until I got the hang of it. This isn’t as simple as quickly slapping it on with a brush or sponge; instead, I discovered it works better if you warm it slightly by either swirling your brush around the pan, or applying it to the back of your hand then transferring it onto your face.
A brush works better if you’re looking to build it up to a more medium coverage, but if it’s something light and barely-there you’re looking for, I recommend using your fingers instead. Application technicalities aside, however, once it was on my skin I was so pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of it.
It really does feel like you’re wearing nothing at all, even if you build up a couple of layers, and I almost immediately forgot that I was wearing foundation at all. I tested the Tinted Blur Balm over a couple of blemishes, which required more layers to cover, but the rest of my face only needed one light layer to look more even and smooth.
It covered up redness well, evened out my skin tone and even made some of my fine lines less noticeable. The before and after wasn’t dramatic – in fact, in pictures it’s barely noticeable that I’m wearing anything at all. But personally, that’s what I loved about it. My skin looked effortlessly flawless and even, and there was no patchiness or cakiness at all even after several hours of wearing it.
Final thoughts
All in all, this is definitely going to become a great every day go-to for me. It might not quite cut it for nights out or events, but when I want to feel a little more put together for heading into work, popping to the shops or grabbing a quick lunch, this is exactly what my skin would order.
I will note that if you have very dry skin like me, then good, hydrating skin preparation is essential. The Tinted Blur Balm did tend to stick to some of the drier patches on my skin, but when I re-tried with a more hydrating base underneath, it was much more successful. If you tend to err on the side of oiliness, however, this will be a godsend for banishing shine – exactly what we need as the temperatures heat up.
